Waste container



Sept. 8, 1959 D. N. G. METCALF 2,903,215

WASTE CONTAINER Filed Dec. 7. 1956 45 28 INVENTOR.

Derek MG Mc'fcalf amjmwaw fig int a.-

United States Patent WASTE CONTAINER DerekN. G. Metcalf, La Grange Park, Ill., assign'or to Athena Industries, Inc., La Grange Park, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 7, 1956, Serial No. 627,007

4 Claims. (Cl. 248-99) This invention relates to waste containers, and more particularly to such devices adapted to be mounted on asupporting structure which includes a receptacle carrier and readily replaceable containers which are held open by the carrier for receiving waste material.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an inexpensive and easily installed waste container adapted to use in vehicles, such as automobiles.

v As another object, my invention has within its purview the provision of a wastecontainer incorporating a readily replaceable bag-type receptacle carried and normally held open by a fork-type carrier having spaced arms which extend through openings near the top of the receptacle.

folds, for receiving the arms of a support, and wherein the folds cause the receptacle to grip the arms of the support to hold the receptacle in place and in an open position thereon.

This invention further comprehends the provision of a waste receptacle embodying a support having a bracket adapted for securement to a supporting structure, and a fork-type receptacle carrier swingably and removably connected to the bracket.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the following detailed description when taken together with the accompanying drawings, in which: Fig.- 1 is a perspective view of a waste container which is illustrative of a preferred embodiment of this inven- ,t1on;

Fig; 2 is a top plan view of the waste container shown in Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary side sectional view of a portion of the waste container, and is taken substantially as indicated by a line 33 and accompanying arrows in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a portion of the structure depicted in Fig. 1.

In the exemplary embodiment of my invention which is shown for illustrative purposes in the accompanying drawings, the disclosed waste container includes a forktype receptacle carrier mounted for swinging movement in a substantially horizontal plane and between accessible and out-of-the-way positions on a bracket 12, which bracket is secured to a supporting structure 13, such as the dashboard of an automobile. A receptacle 14, made of a flexible material such as paper, is suspended from the carrier 10; the means of suspension being such that the receptacle is held with the top open,

Patented Sept. 8, .1959

2 although it is readily removable from the carrier for emptying or replacement.

The receptacle carrier 10, as herein depicted, is substantially U-shaped, having arms 15 and 16 projecting in spaced and substantially parallel relationship from a connecting portion 17. 'The receptacle carrier 10 may be made as an integral unit, as from molded plastic material having the required body and rigidity. At the midregion of the connecting portion, a substantially cylindrical stud 18 projects downwardly and extends through an aperture 19 in the bracket 12 to support the receptacle carrier from the bracket. A portion 20 of the bracket 12 underlies the connecting portion of the carrier to aid in the support of the carrier. The stud 18 is rotatably and removably journalled in the aperture 19, and by prefer.- ence, the aperture is punched in the bracket 12 to provide an extruded flange 22 extending downwardly from the portion 20 of the bracket to provide a bearing surface affording added support for the receptacle carrier.

The bracket 12, in addition to the portion 20 which underlies the connectingportion 17 of the receptacle carrier, also has a mounting flange 23 at the end opposite the portion 20 and integrally connected to the portion 20 through an intermediate portion 24. The portion 20 and the mounting flange 23, as disclosed, are in substantially parallel planes offset from one another, so that the receptacle carrier is below the level of the supporting structure 13 an amount sufiicient to permit the receptacle carrier to swing under the supporting structure. The intermediate portion 24 of the bracket12, as shown, is narrower than the mounting portion 23 and the portion 20 of the bracket to provide a larger arc of swinging movement for the receptacle carrier and also to provide a portion of the bracket having sufficient flexibility to be bent or twisted to level the receptacle carrier if the mounting surface of the supporting structure is not horizontal.

The bag-type receptacle 14 may be made of paper or other suitable material so that it is cheap, disposable and replaceable, although relatively durable. The receptacle illustrated is of generally rectangular configuration, having a front wall 25, a rear wall 26, side walls 27 and 28 and a bottom 29 suitably adjoined together along adjacent corners. Near the tops of the front and rear walls 25 and 26 and adjacent the side walls 27 and 28, pairs of aligned apertures 30 and 32 and 33 and 34 are provided. The spacing of the pairs of apertures in the front and rear walls of the receptacle corresponds substantially to the separation of the arms 15 and 16, so that for supporting the receptacle, the arm 15 extends through the pair of aligned apertures 30 and 32, while the arm 16 extends through the pair of aligned apertures 33 and 34 in the rear and front walls, thereby to hold the front and rear walls of the receptacle at opposite sides thereof with the intervening material of the walls relatively fiat.

As shown in Figs. 2 and 4, notches such as 35 and 36 are provided near the opposite ends of the arms 15 and 16. The spacing of the notches 35 and 36 is such that when the front and rear walls 25 and 26 of the receptacle are engaged therein, the top of the receptacle is spread and held open. To facilitate the retention of the front and rear walls 25 and 26 of the receptacle in the respective notches 35 and 36 of the arms, as well as to provide for the storage of the receptacles while folded flat, the side walls are folded inwardly along longitudinal corners 37 and 38 at which they adjoin the rear wall 26 and along corners 39 and 40 at which they adjoin the front wall 25. Along longitudinal lines 42 and 43, the side walls are oppositely folded, so that the normal resilience of the material of which the receptacle is made urges the side walls inwardly at their mid-portions, into contact with the outer surfaces of the arms, thereby to aid in holding the front and rear walls in engagement with the notches in the arms. In addition, disengagement of the receptacle from the arms 15 and 16 is resisted by end portions 44- and 45 of enlarged section at the outer ends of the arms.

For'=u'se, the bracket 12 may besecured to the-surface of the supporting structure 13,-su'ch as the dashboard of an automobile, by fastening means, such as a screw 46. For 'the installation and replacement of the receptacles on the carrier, the-carrier may be left on the bracket 12 or removed therefrom, as convenience requires.

From the foregoing description and reference to the accompanying drawings, it may beunderstood that I have provided an inexpensive and readily installable waste container adapted to use in vehicles, such as automobiles, and which is adapted 'to the use of disposable receptacles which may be quickly and easily emptied or replaced either while the receptacle carrier is mounted on its supporting bracket or by the removal of the carrier from the bracket. While installed for use, the receptacle is held open for ease of access and may be swung to an out-of-the-way position without removal of the carrier from the bracket.

While I have illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention, many modifications may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of all changm within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A waste container for use on a supporting structure and comprising, in combination, a receptacle carrier including a bracket securable to the supporting structure and having an aperture therein and a one-piece fork-type receptacle carrying part having straight and substantially parallel aims projecting in spaced relationship from oppositeendso-f a connecting portion to define a plane, means including a stud integral with the mid-portion of the connecting portion and having an axis normal to said plane and removably fitting into said aperture to provide a separable 'hinge connection between the bracket and the receptacle carrying part, and a receptacle hung from the arms, said receptacle being made of a relatively stiff and resilient flexible material having front and rear walls adjoined at opposite sides by side Walls, said front, rear andside walls having top edges in substantially coplanar relationship, said side walls each being folded inwardly of the receptacle at'the junctures thereof with the front and rear Walls andeach having a reverse fold along the mid-region thereof so as to spread outwardly of the receptacle when extended between the front and rear walls, said front and rear walls having aligned holes therein near the edges thereof and inwardly of the side walls, said 'holes being of a size and spacing to receive said arms with the front and rear walls extended and with the folded mid-regions of the side walls engaging the arms to hold those side walls in extended positions.

2. A waste container as defined in claim 1, and further characterized by notches on opposed outer surfaces and near opposite ends of each of the arms for engage- 4 ment with portions of the front and rear walls adjacent the holes.

3. A waste container for use on a supporting structure and comprising, in combination, a receptacle carrier including means securable to the supporting structure and a fork-type receptacle carrying part having arms projecting in spaced and substantially coplanar relationship from a connecting element, and a receptacle hung from the arms, said receptacle being made of relatively stiff and resilient flexible material having front and rear walls adjoined at opposite sides by side Walls, said front and rear walls and said side walls having top edges in substantially coplanar relationship to one another, said side walls each being folded inwardly of the receptacle along the junctures thereof with the front and rear walls and each having a reverse fold extending downwardly from the top edge along the mid-region thereof so as to spread outwardly of the receptacle when extended, said front and rear walls having aligned holes therein below the top edges thereof and inwardly of the side walls, said holes being of a size and spacing to receive said arms with the 'front and rear walls extended and with the folded midregions of the side walls engaging opposite side surfaces of the arms to hold those side walls in extended positions.

4. In a waste container having arms of predetermined and substantially equal length projecting from a support in substantially parallel and predetermined spaced relationship, a receptacle made of relatively stiff and resilient flexible material having front and rear walls wider than the span of the spaced arms and adjoined at opposite sides by side walls having widths less than the lengths of the arms, said front and rear walls and said side walls having top edges in substantially coplanar relationship to one another, said side walls each being folded inwardly of the receptacle along the junctures thereof with the front and rear walls and each having a reverse fold extending downwardly from the top edge along the mid-region thereof so as normally to collapse to bring the front and rear walls together and to open outwardly of the receptacle when extended, said front and rear walls having holes below the top edges thereof and near the side walls, said holes being of a size and spacing to receive the arms when the front and rear walls are extended, and the folded mid-regions of the side walls engaging opposite side surfaces of the arms to hold those side walls in extended positions.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS any luv. 

